Grampy's Profile

Tullen Farms out of Washington has an excellent bottled cherry, too. I believe they have a website, but who doesn't? I fear, however, that cherry season, at least in this hemisphere, will not be on us for some time. However, it doesn't take more than a spoonful of brains to realize that any real cherries are better than the syrupy yuck nodules steeped in dye and high-fructose corn syrup that have superseded the genuine article.

Fritter:When I added this recipe to my book, it needed to be more or less conventional -- after all it is a field guide. That said, you hit the Julep on the head! That is mostly how I personally prefer it. In fact, read my next Monday blog (4/20) on cookthink.com for my version. Cheers! Rob Chirico

Boozemonkey: As I mentioned, Peychaud's first drink, served mostly after hours at his apothecary shop, used the more typically French alcohol, but that drink was substantially changed by Schiller, using the more American potation, whiskey. This is the Sazerac we have come to know and love today. While there are subtle variations in this wonderful drink, NOLA drink authority Stanley Clisby Arthur, in his 1937 classic "Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em," uses a drop of Angostura -- and he ought to know. Cheers, Rob.

My original intention was giving everyone in the world a free copy, but (alas!) as I was only given 10 free copies, I was not even able act like the Gideons and place one in hotel rooms everywhere. If you are ever at the Blue Heron Restaurant in Western Mass, however, I will gladly give all chowhounds a cocktail on the house.

To be absolutely, positively precise -- a squirt. I make a fresh batch of simple syrup every couple of days and keep it in a squeeze bottle. So, when making a mojito, I put the lime and mint in the mixing glass and a quick squirt -- about one second.

Rye is certainly, making a comeback, and anyone who sits at my bar will be coaxed into trying it in a Manhattan. That said, regarding straight up versus on the rocks, I would say that about 40% of my patrons prefer rocks, and it is about 50-50 when it comes to whiskey or bourbon. One regular only drinks it with Crown Royal. -Rob

Although I mentioned it in the text, the absence of lime in the recipe was the second mistake (and only second, I hope) I have found in my book. It was somehow deleted as the book went to print, probably because it was at the top of the page. Although I call for superfine sugar, I muddle the mint and lime with simple syrup at my bar. Some people take issue with straining the mixture into a glass. While speaking with dale DeGroff in new Orleans recently, he agreed that straining makes for a cleaner cocktail. -Rob

I had a drink in New Orleans at tales of the Cocktail that used G'vine gin, which has a grape base as well as grain, and it was mixed with St. Germain, an elderflower liqueur, in equal parts. It was a nice "twist" on the above. -Rob

Note in my recipe above that I said to use a good quality red "at home." I made about three gallons of the stuff for my restaurant staff's picnic using a case of leftover cheap merlot we had hanging around. I also threw in some pineapple to mellow it out. It was perfectly fine and disappeared quickly, although I cannot account for any hangovers the next day. -Rob

I ceated a variation on this for the Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, calling it the Mint Jolie. I used Bulleit Bourbon (a sponsor) and Sazarac Rye, but instead of muddling mint and sugar, I added a mint simple syrup. I then topped it with a splash of soda and added a healthy twist of lemon peel. It was quite a hit, particularly among the Southerners, because it was refreshing, but as lethal as one-too-many juleps can be.

Sorry, gang. That was an editorial mistake. When I wrote the book, I never specified which curaçao. The editors assumed blue and shot a photograph as such. Thanks to a pressured deadline, I did not see the mistake until the book was off to the printer. Fortunately, it is only one of two errors I have caught so far.